Chapter One
"It is not polite to spit food at Daddy," Hunter Monroe said to his one and a half year old son, Chase. "Daddy is wearing Versace and this suit cost a fortune."
The baby giggled and cooed and slobbered spinach out of the corners of his mouth.
Hunter wiped the food away from the child's face with a napkin and then glanced up at the clock. Six thirty . Where the hell is the babysitter ? The awards ceremony would be starting in two hours and he needed to get there to help his cosmeticians turn actors into movie stars.
The babysitting agency had guaranteed him they'd have a sitter there by six. Chase's former nanny just up and got married, leaving him in the lurch and forcing him to put Chase in daycare, which he absolutely hated. He'd promised himself after Rebecca deserted him that when he was awarded full custody of his son, Chase would want for nothing and have the best life he could afford to give him. He had a long list of nannies waiting to be interviewed, starting tomorrow.
The telephone rang. Hunter ducked another wet batch of spinach that flew out of Chase's mouth and reached for the phone. The person on the other line was his best friend, Adam Becall, agent to the stars.
"Where are you?" Adam asked.
"Still at home, waiting on the babysitter," Hunter replied. "The agency told me one would be here by six."
"I know the name of one who is available. Our kids are with their grandparents tonight so we didn't need a sitter. I'll give Terry a call for you."
"Sure, fine," Hunter said as he heard the bowl of creamed spinach hit the floor, followed by a row of giggles from the bemused Chase. "Can you send her over quickly? Chase is in rare form tonight. He just tossed a bowl of spinach to the floor."
"Smart kid," Adam replied. "Spinach sucks. I'll see you at the awards."
Hunter heard the click as Adam hung up, turned his attention back to his son and was rewarded with a loving smile and a pair of twin dimples. "You are going to be so grounded when you get to be a teen. I'm going to remember this."
Chase just giggled as Hunter stooped to clean up the mess. "Spinach is good for you. It's chock-full of vitamins and will give you muscles like Popeye." Listen to me. I sound like my father . Six years ago he would never have imagined this scenario taking place. His life with Chase's mother was filled with partying and drinking. Fatherhood had changed him for the better. He didn't regret seeking full custody of Chase. Rebecca never wanted the child. All she wanted to do was drink and eventually partying caught up with her. She died tragically a couple of months earlier when she misjudged a curve and lost control of her car. Her young life ended before it ever got the chance to mature. What a waste, he thought as he put away the cleaning supplies and washed his hands.
The doorbell rang a few minutes later after Hunter had cleaned Chase up and was about to lay him down for a nap. "That must be one of the sitters." Hunter didn't care which one. He carried Chase back down the stairs with him. "Who is it?"
"Terry Rayburn."
Adam's friend . Hunter opened the door and found a young man standing on the other side.
"Mr Becall sent me over. He said you needed a sitter."
Terry stood five feet seven, approximately one hundred and forty pounds with dark black shoulder-length hair and baby blue eyes. He wore a pair of denim jeans, a blue t-shirt and carried a backpack.
"Ma-ma," Chase said reaching out to the young man with two chubby little hands.
"You're a guy."
Terry nodded. "The last time I checked. And this must be Chase. Aren't you a little cutie?"
Hunter looked the young man over. He seemed fairly decent, even though he could use a haircut. He had great skin and he smelled like he'd just stepped out of a shower. "Come in." He stepped aside and allowed Terry to enter, then showed him to the living room.
"You have a nice home," Terry said, taking the backpack off and putting the bag on the floor next to his
"It is not polite to spit food at Daddy," Hunter Monroe said to his one and a half year old son, Chase. "Daddy is wearing Versace and this suit cost a fortune."
The baby giggled and cooed and slobbered spinach out of the corners of his mouth.
Hunter wiped the food away from the child's face with a napkin and then glanced up at the clock. Six thirty . Where the hell is the babysitter ? The awards ceremony would be starting in two hours and he needed to get there to help his cosmeticians turn actors into movie stars.
The babysitting agency had guaranteed him they'd have a sitter there by six. Chase's former nanny just up and got married, leaving him in the lurch and forcing him to put Chase in daycare, which he absolutely hated. He'd promised himself after Rebecca deserted him that when he was awarded full custody of his son, Chase would want for nothing and have the best life he could afford to give him. He had a long list of nannies waiting to be interviewed, starting tomorrow.
The telephone rang. Hunter ducked another wet batch of spinach that flew out of Chase's mouth and reached for the phone. The person on the other line was his best friend, Adam Becall, agent to the stars.
"Where are you?" Adam asked.
"Still at home, waiting on the babysitter," Hunter replied. "The agency told me one would be here by six."
"I know the name of one who is available. Our kids are with their grandparents tonight so we didn't need a sitter. I'll give Terry a call for you."
"Sure, fine," Hunter said as he heard the bowl of creamed spinach hit the floor, followed by a row of giggles from the bemused Chase. "Can you send her over quickly? Chase is in rare form tonight. He just tossed a bowl of spinach to the floor."
"Smart kid," Adam replied. "Spinach sucks. I'll see you at the awards."
Hunter heard the click as Adam hung up, turned his attention back to his son and was rewarded with a loving smile and a pair of twin dimples. "You are going to be so grounded when you get to be a teen. I'm going to remember this."
Chase just giggled as Hunter stooped to clean up the mess. "Spinach is good for you. It's chock-full of vitamins and will give you muscles like Popeye." Listen to me. I sound like my father . Six years ago he would never have imagined this scenario taking place. His life with Chase's mother was filled with partying and drinking. Fatherhood had changed him for the better. He didn't regret seeking full custody of Chase. Rebecca never wanted the child. All she wanted to do was drink and eventually partying caught up with her. She died tragically a couple of months earlier when she misjudged a curve and lost control of her car. Her young life ended before it ever got the chance to mature. What a waste, he thought as he put away the cleaning supplies and washed his hands.
The doorbell rang a few minutes later after Hunter had cleaned Chase up and was about to lay him down for a nap. "That must be one of the sitters." Hunter didn't care which one. He carried Chase back down the stairs with him. "Who is it?"
"Terry Rayburn."
Adam's friend . Hunter opened the door and found a young man standing on the other side.
"Mr Becall sent me over. He said you needed a sitter."
Terry stood five feet seven, approximately one hundred and forty pounds with dark black shoulder-length hair and baby blue eyes. He wore a pair of denim jeans, a blue t-shirt and carried a backpack.
"Ma-ma," Chase said reaching out to the young man with two chubby little hands.
"You're a guy."
Terry nodded. "The last time I checked. And this must be Chase. Aren't you a little cutie?"
Hunter looked the young man over. He seemed fairly decent, even though he could use a haircut. He had great skin and he smelled like he'd just stepped out of a shower. "Come in." He stepped aside and allowed Terry to enter, then showed him to the living room.
"You have a nice home," Terry said, taking the backpack off and putting the bag on the floor next to his
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